Mark Watches ‘Doctor Who’: S03E11 – Utopia

In the eleventh episode of the third series of Doctor Who, the TARDIS picks up a familiar passenger while refueling on the Rift in Cardiff, which causes it to fly to the literal end of the Universe to get rid of him. There, the Doctor finds a most horrifying discovery. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Doctor Who.

This certainly might be a complete mistake, as I am prematurely stating this, but after the mind-melting revelations of “Utopia,” I might be about to witness the best series-ending set of episodes yet. This entire revival has had the emotional base of the Time War behind it, always seeming to be at the edge of the Doctor’s thoughts.

How many times have we seen the Doctor’s eyes glaze over with sadness as he thinks about being the very last of his kind? After almost a thousand years of existence, he’s been so very, very alone since his ninth incarnation. (Possibly before that, as I’m still unsure when the Time War actually happened.) How many stories have we seen over the course of these three series that parallel what has happened to the Time Lords? Hell, even in this episode, we meet Chantho, who is the last of her insectoid species.

For people like myself, my only real experience with the Time Lords has been The Doctor. If I hadn’t seen “The Three Doctors,” I would have believed that all Time Lords were called the Doctor. In that sense, I feel like “Utopia” caters more towards fans like myself, who have no experience with other Time Lords and also don’t know if The Master is someone from the past. DO NOT SPOIL THIS FOR ME BECAUSE I DON’T KNOW WHAT THE MASTER IS OR WHERE HE CAME FROM OR WHY HE SCARES THE DOCTOR SO MUCH.

I’ll understand if there are other people who don’t particularly like this three-part story arc. I initially believed this to be a story set aside from the traditional two-part finale, so as this episode’s story began to fall apart and I realized what was happening, my mind exploded and i may never recover. So there’s that. I was even unprepared for how long this arc would be.

It’s nice to see Captain Jack Harkness again, especially as he moves his way from person to person (to creature) and hits on them immediately. Ah, I totally missed his pansexual joy. But “Utopia” certainly didn’t ignore a pivotal point: the last time we saw Jack Harkness, the Doctor had abandoned him. While there is a giant, distracting (in a good way) and fascinating plot going on in the foreground, I couldn’t seem to get past this. Why on earth would the Doctor leave someone behind? He is notorious for doing whatever he can to save people? Why does he talk to Jack with such disgust in his tone?

I’m not sure it is even possible for me to conceive of the end of the universe. 100 trillion years in the future? How does a universe end and there’s still some place left for everyone to go? How does a universe even end???

I don’t know if this is going to be answered in this three-parter, as there is a LOT left to explain at the end of “Utopia,” but I would like to ask permission to do what I have wanted to do since last night, as the episode’s credits began to roll and I shut off the television. Is that ok? Is that fine with you folks? Yes? Ok.

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THE DOCTOR IS NOT THE LAST TIME LORD. PROFESSOR YANA HAD THE SAME WATCH THAT JOHN SMITH HAD IN “HUMAN NATURE”/”THE FAMILY OF BLOOD.” OH MY GOD THERE IS ANOTHER TIME LORD.

YOU ARE NOT ALONE

Y A N A

OH MY GOD THE FACE OF BOE

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CAPTAIN JACK HARKNESS CANNOT DIE OH MY GOD THAT IS WHY HE WAS ABANDONED

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THE FUCKING MASTER STOLE THE TARDIS. HE STOLE THE FUCKING TARDIS. I CAN’T EVEN WHAT A;SDLFHA S;LFHAS;FLHASDF;LH

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THOUGHTS

• I laughed so hard when the Doctor had a look of utter doom on his face, repeating that he and Martha need to leave this planet, and then his face breaks out into a smile and everything is wonderful.
• OMG Chantho is ADORABLE and my face did a sad when she died. 🙁
• “Was someone kissing me?” ILU CAPTAIN JACK HARKNESS NEVER CHANGE
• Oh my god HE SAVED THE DOCTOR’S HAND. what the fuck
• So, just thinking aloud…why did Yana hear the sound of drums specifically? Why that sound? John Smith didn’t seem to experience it.
• JOHN SIMM!!!! OH MY GOD YES.
• “Everything she did was so human. She brought you back to life, but she couldn’t control it. She brought you back forever. That’s something, I suppose. The final act of the Time War was life.” WHAT DOES THAT MEAN.
• How does this episode work if Cassandra is technically the last human in 500 billion?
• “Hermits United. We meet up every 10 years, swap stories about caves. It’s good fun. For a Hermit.” ILU DOCTOR NEVER CHANGE
• i can’t even. I CAN’T EVEN. Two more parts? I AM GOING TO HAVE A HEART ATTACK.